The Talk
by bemj11
Summary: Jasper needs to talk. Carlisle's POV. Complete.


I had had _the talk_ with Edward after one of his medical classes.

Esme had made me try to have _the talk_ with Emmett when he and Rosalie decided to get married. He had laughed, and said he knew all about that stuff, but thanks for being concerned. He said it was nice to know that if he had needed to know that stuff that I would have been there to tell him. Then he asked if Rosalie was getting the same talk from Esme and if that was why they had gone out.

I never really expected to have _the talk_ with Jasper.

He was, after all, and adult, and a soldier, and over a century old. I hadn't expected that he wouldn't know that sort of thing already.

So it surprised me when one evening he asked if we could go for a walk.

He was radiating tension, and his eyes were wary, as if searching for an escape. I knew he wanted to talk about something, though I had no idea what, and I knew it was important.

We left the house; he was silent as we walked, not giving me even a hint of what the problem might be. When we finally stopped walking he actually sat down cross legged on the ground. I could feel his nervousness spike as I sat down to join him.

"Jasper?" I asked gently. "What do you need?" He stared at me for a minute, as if incapable of understanding me, his eyes wide. Gradually he closed his eyes and forced himself to take a deep breath. I was worried by then.

He offered a small smile, one his nearly invisible ones. "It's okay. I just…wanted to talk."

"Oh?" I replied, calming down. "About what?"

He took another quick breath. It was odd how we kept those breathing habits even after we no longer needed them. "Well, you know we've been with your family for quite some time now." He said, and I began to worry again. Did he and Alice want to leave? They certainly had the right, but we had come to think of them as part of the family. I merely nodded, waiting for him to continue. Things were not always what they seemed with Jasper.

"And you know that Alice and I have been together for slightly longer." He said, and I nodded again, though I failed to see where this was leading. He hesitated, ever so slightly. "I love her, Carlisle."

I blinked. Though they were certainly nowhere near as outwardly obvious as Rosalie and Emmett, or even Esme and myself, if was just as obvious, at least to me, that the two of them loved each other dearly.

I remained silent, uncertain as to what he wanted me to say. He watched me expectantly. There was something he wanted from me, but I wasn't certain what. He stood abruptly. "I need help!" He said almost wildly. He fixed his gaze on me. "I don't know what to do. I love her, I'd like to marry her, and I want to spend the rest of eternity with her."

I was relieved. And happy for him. "Have you asked her yet?" I asked softly, and he gave me a look.

"What if she doesn't want to?" He asked me desperately. "I mean, we love each other, there's no doubt about that. And I know she wants me as much as I want her. But what if she doesn't want to get married? What if she thinks it's silly?"

I frowned at him, trying not to feel amusement at seeing him in this state, and over this. He was genuinely worried, and more openly upset than I had ever seen him. "Why would she think it's silly?" I asked gently. "She loves you."

He started pacing, something I'd never seen a vampire do. "I know she loves me. Regardless of whether we're married or not. And I feel the same way about her. So what if she thinks it's unnecessary?"

"I would guess, Jasper, that she would do it anyway, for you." I told him. "It's obvious this is important to you."

"But if she doesn't want to do it-"

"Then you two will love each other anyway, Jasper. Whatever happens, I doubt she's going to laugh in your face for asking."

That only made things worse. He whirled around to face me, pacing stopped. "But what if she says yes? Then what?"

I stared at him in confusion. "Then arrangements will be made, and you two will be happily married to each other." I said uncertainly.

He growled in exasperation. "I know that!" He cried, gesturing wildly. "But then what?" I just looked at him. I couldn't understand why he was making such a big deal about what he would do if she said yes. Usually it was the other way around with people.

He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to banish the irritation and anxiety. He was only partly successful in that. He fixed his golden eyes on me, and said, slowly, softly, "We don't sleep together."

For less than a second I was only further confused, and then I realized what he meant. "Oh." I said, the epitome of tact. "I see." I wondered at that; the two were so close.

He shrugged, as if embarrassed. "She's never brought it up. I think she's waiting till I'm comfortable with it." Just as she had with everything else, I noted. She was so gentle with him.

"And you've been waiting until you were married?" I asked. It made sense. It had been the same with Esme and me. It was a part of our value system, I supposed.

Jasper fidgeted, and grew even tenser, though I would not have thought it possible. He sighed. "Sort of." He finally mumbled, staring at the ground.

I stared at him. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? Was he coming to me for advice? I was surprised; he had been a soldier, a grown man. He was over a century old. Did he really need to hear this?"

He sat back down, uncomfortable. "I'm not _completely_ clueless." He mumbled. "But I never stuck around when that sort of thing started up. The feelings-it wasn't something I felt was right to intrude on. It was uncomfortable as well."

More uncomfortable than walking in on someone, I imagined. It was something private, something special between two people. Of course he would be uncomfortable.

"What do you need to know?" I asked, as I settled myself to spend the evening giving my newest son _the talk_.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or Carlisle, or Jasper, or Alice, or any of the others.


End file.
